Background: The highest prevalence rates of childhood obesity have been observed in developed countries, however, its prevalence is increasing in developing countries as well. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school children, aged from 6 to 12 years and to estimate risk factors of obesity and overweight, defined by body mass index (BMI). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Port Said city during the second term of school year 2010/2011. The researcher took the anthropometric measurements inside the nurse's room in the school and gave a questionnaire to the students to be answered by one of the child's parents. The questionnaire included questions related to socioeconomic status, life style (physical activity and eating habits) and family history of overweight and obesity. Results: Eight hundred and fifty-two students participated in this study. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17.7% and 13.5% respectively. The rate of obesity was the highest at the age of 7-8 years (grade 2) and decreased with an increase in age, while overweight increased with an increase in age to be the highest at the age of 9-10 (grade 4) and 10-11 (grade 5). Socioeconomic class, faulty dietary habits, sedentary life, low level of physical activity and positive family history of overweight and/or obesity were significantly associated with student's BMI. Conclusion: This study found a relatively high prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged 6-12 years in Port Said city. Decreased rate of obesity with an increase in age in our study, signifies that faulty feeding habits were the highest at lower ages. ª 2013 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Egyptian Pediatric Association.

Aims: To probe whether RDW can be used as a reliable indicator of subclinical disease in FMF patients. Background: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an auto inflammatory disease with potentially devastating effects on the kidney, and the chronic subclinical inflammation may also be deleterious. Further, proteinuria has been associated with chronic inflammatory states. Objective: To probe whether RDW can be used as a reliable indicator of subclinical disease in FMF patients. Method: Ninety-nine children with FMF, according to the new pediatric FMF criteria, were included in the present study. All were attack-free at the time of the study. They were compared with 44 healthy age-matched controls. For all patients and controls, the following tests were done: Complete blood count (in the form of red cell count, leukocyte count, platelet count, hemoglobin, RDW and MCV), CRP, ESR, creatinine and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR). For patients, serum and urine albumin and albumin/creatinine ratio were also determined. Result: Group 1 consisted of 61 patients, who were not suffering from microalbuminuria, and Group 2 consisted of 38 patients who had confirmed albuminuria. RDW and ESR were significantly higher in patients with FMF without microalbuminuria than in controls, while MCV was smaller in controls (p<0.05). Conclusion: RDW and ESR can be used as indicators of subclinical inflammation in children with FMF. The tests are easy to perform and cheaper than more sophisticated tests. Microalbuminuria may be silent and occur on the background of normal levels of acute phase reactants. All cases must be routinely checked for microalbuminuria. Other: It is worth mentioning that, in developing countries sophisticated tests are often too costly. Improving the availability of simple, low cost laboratory tests continues to be an important issue that needs addressing.

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As compared with AGA, SGA late preterm infants had lower diastolic blood pressure and lower IGF-1 during the 2nd week of life, but similar insulin resistance and lipid profile. We speculate that although metabolic derangements in SGA infants could have occurred at a much earlier age in fetal life, their manifestations may not be present in the immediate postnatal life.

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Background Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are among the most commonly encountered major public health problems, with a higher prevalence of lower RTIs among children and more generally the poor. The present study aimed to describe the pattern of respiratory tract infections in Egyptian children aged under 5 years and explore possible associations between socio-demographics and nutritional status and types of RTIs. Methods Over 6 months beginning in September 2018 (including one winter season), a cross-sectional, observational, epidemiological study was conducted on a sample of patients with upper and lower RTIs diagnosed clinically and/or radiologically in the outpatient clinics at Cairo University Children’s Hospital in Egypt. An interview questionnaire was employed to collect socio-demographic and nutritional data. Heights/lengths and weights were measured and analyzed using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Anthro Plus [Computer Program]. Patients with pneumonia (n = 28) were compared to 97 healthy children of the same age and sex. Results The total number of children diagnosed with upper and lower respiratory infections was 611. Malnutrition was present in 12.4% of all children with upper and lower RTIs. Lower RTI and malnutrition were substantially more prevalent among children aged under 2 years (p = 0.048 and p < 0.001, respectively). The strongest predictor of lower RTI was a younger age (OR 0.797, CI 0.713–0.89, p < 0.001). Conclusion At our center, approximately one-third of infections in under-fives were lower RTI. Malnutrition was one of the significant risk factors for lower RTI in children below 2 years. The nutritional status of infants and young children should be improved by encouraging exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life and strengthening the healthcare and nutritional counseling available for vulnerable children, particularly in rural regions.

Background Short stature is one of the main causes of children referral to pediatric endocrinologists. Common etiologies include idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (IGHD), small for gestational age (SGA), and idiopathic short stature (ISS). Objectives The aim of this study was to assess and compare the response of children with IGHD, ISS, and SGA to growth hormone (GH) therapy. Methods This was a mixed cohort study that included 40 children with short stature (classified into IGHD, ISS, and SGA) following up at Diabetes, Endocrine, and Metabolism Pediatric Unit (DEMPU), Cairo University Children’s Hospital. Ages ranged between 3 and 18 years. Recruited cases were evaluated for their 1-year response to GH therapy. In addition to history taking, physical examination, and anthropometric measurements, serum levels of IGF-1 were assayed at recruitment. Results Among the 3 groups, height gain (cm/year) was significantly higher in the IGHD group (6.59 cm/year), followed by the ISS (4.63 cm/year) and SGA groups (4.46 cm/year) (p = 0.039). Using the Bang criterion for first-year responsiveness to GH therapy, most cases (30/40, 75%) were considered poor responders. Conclusion There is a male predominance in children seeking medical advice for short stature. Starting GH therapy at an older age was associated with poor response. Children with IGHD respond better to GH therapy than those with ISS and SGA.